Texas Living

Recipe: Pumpkin Soup

By Annie Wiles 10.24.22

Warm up with a savory sip of the perfect symbol of fall.

Ingredients

1⁄4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 pinch kosher salt
1 pumpkin (4 pounds or 8 cups), peeled, halved, seeded, and cut into 1″ cubes
8 sprigs thyme
2 cinnamon sticks
1 tablespoon whole allspice
1 teaspoon nutmeg
3 cups vegetable stock
3 cups unsweetened coconut milk OR 1 cup apple cider and 1 cup heavy cream

Tip: You can also substitute pumpkin with a large butternut or kabocha squash!

Method

Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Stir in onion, cooking until softened but not browned. Add garlic, season with salt, and cook, stirring often, until softened. Stir in pumpkin, then stir in spices to coat. Add stock and bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until pumpkin is tender, around 20 minutes. Remove cinnamon sticks and thyme. Add coconut milk and bring to a simmer, around 5 minutes. Purée soup until smooth. Add salt to taste.

To Serve: Sprinkle with candied nuts or drizzle with a swirl of cream and freshly grated nutmeg.

Candied Nut Topping

2 cups raw almonds
1⁄4 cup maple syrup
4 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon berbere
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1⁄2 teaspoon kosher salt

Toss ingredients together and roast on a baking sheet at 350 F until nuts are toasted and syrup is caramelized, tossing occasionally, around 20 minutes. Spread on a sheet of parchment to cool, then coarsely chop. Sprinkle over soup bowls to serve.

Wintry Variations

Try this trick from food writer Nigella Lawson: Make your soup Norwegian by adding 2 cups of grated Jarlsberg cheese before pureeing and sprinkling another cup over your soup bowls when you serve. Make it Swiss by adding Gruyere instead.

Find lots more pumpkin recipes here!

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